Missile launching apparatus



Nov. 16, 1965 MEEKER 3,217,599

MISS ILE LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DELBERT B. MEEKER M A'GENT F/g.2 RW

A TTORNE) NOV. 16, 1965 MEEKER MISSILE LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed March26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. DELBERT B. MEEKER United StatesPatent 3,217,599 MISSILE LAUNCl-IENG APPARATUS Delbert I3. Meeker, PortHueneme, Calili, assignor to the United States of America as representedby the Secretary of the Navy Filed Mar. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 355,132 7Claims. (Cl. 89-137) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266)The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to the launching of a missile or rocketvehicle from the ocean or other body of water.

Considerable attention has recently been given to the launching ofmissiles at sea. One reason why such a procedure has become of greaterimportance is that it eliminates the necessity of constructing extensivelandbased facilities the cost of which is extremely high. Furthermore,such hard launching areas are more vulnerable to enemy countermeasuresthen are waterbased sites, since the location of the latter may bechanged at will by towing or otherwise moving the missile for anydesired distance. Still further, there is greater safety in awater-launched operation, inasmuch as any malfunction of the missilewill normally be absorbed by the surrounding fluid, eliminating ormaterially reducing the possibility of injury to personnel ordestruction of the launching equipment.

One requirement inherent in the launching of a missile or rocket vehiclefrom a body of water is that the missile must be initially oriented in aupright position, and furthermore must remain relatively stable in spiteof a tendency toward rolling and dipping which would ordinarily beimparted thereto by wave action. The basic stability of a missile insuch an environment depends largely upon its size, shape, center ofgravity, and the amount of its buoyancy. The latter, under mostcircumstances, is insuflicient to bring the nose position of the missileabove the surface, and hence it has been found necessary to supplementthe amount of buoyancy which the missile fundamentally incorporates.

One solution to the above problem is set forth in US. Patent 3,077,143issued February 12, 1963 to Draim et a1. These patentees proposeaugmenting the original buoyancy of the missile at a point above itscenter of gravity, so that the final assembly will have a positivemeta-centric heightthat is, the final center of buoyancy of the overallunit will be in closer proximity to the nose portion of the missile thanis the final center of gravity.

In one embodiment of the invention set forth in the above-mentionedDrain et a1. patent, this supplemental buoyancy for the missile is inthe form of a ring-shaped floatation member free.y encircling themissile in its upright position and upon which the latter rests througha plurality of radially-extending supports. This assembly yieldsincreased stability under ordinary weather and water conditions due tothe transverse distribution of the buoyant material with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the missile. When the missile is launched, thesupports merely cease to rest on the floatation member while the missilerises through the ring-shaped opening therein.

In a further United States Patent No. 3,093,033 issued June 11, 1963 toDrain et al. a further solution to the above problem is presented. Thesepatentees recognize that it is desirable for any supplemental buoyantmaterial that is added to a missile under the conditions being describedshould not remain in proximity to the missile after the initial phase ofthe launching operation has been completed. In other Words, it has beenfound that certain hazards exist when these supplemental buoyant membersremain close to the missile body where they might contact or becomeentangled in the missile fins or other outwardlyextending projections.To eliminate such a possibility, the disclosure of the last-mentionedpatent provides for the forcible ejection of such material, a preferredmethod of so doing including the provision of one or more explosivecharges embedded in or underlying the buoyant material, the latter beingdesigned in the form of strips or sections which surround the upperportion of the missile in the manner of a jacket. When the explosivecharges are ignited, the buoyant strips or sections of the jacket areforced radially outwardly and away from the vehicle for a sufficientdistance so that no subsequent contact with the missile fins can occur.Such a jettisoning system necessitates the use of a considerable amountof explosive material in order to eject the buoyant members out of theimmediate vicinity of the missile.

Although the respective devices of the above-mentioned patent-s performtheir functions in the manner intended, nevertheless they requirecomponents, carried by the missile itself, which possess enough power toeject the buoyant members for a considerable distance. In other words,the radial propelling force for the floatation means is generated on ornear the outer surface of the missile and acts upon the inner surface ofthe buoyant members. An important point to be considered in thisconnection is that the floatation means per se, while possessing buoyantqualities, is inert in the sense that any radial movement thereof withrespect to the missile body is produced by forces exterior thereto, or,in other words, by a separate and distinct component or mechanism.

The herein-disclosed concept, while incorporating certain physicalsimilarities to the structures set forth in the above-mentioned patents,nevertheless embodies a different principle of operation in that thebuoyant means does not depend for its ejecting force upon any exteriorapparatus, but instead contains therewithin the power to propel itselffrom the missile in the same manner as the structures of the prior artdiscussed above. In other words, this ability is latent in the buoyantmeans, and is only utilized when it is desired that such means beseparated from the missile during a launching operation. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, a plurality of detachable buoyant chambersare disposed about the periphery of the missile or rocket just aft ofthe nose portion thereof. These buoyant chambers have walls which arecomposed of some flexible airand water-tight material, such, forexample, as nylon fabric impregnated with neoprene. These chambers areinflatable by any suitable means, and, when so inflated, are compressedor forced against the outer surface of the missile so that the normalshape or configuration of each chamber is distorted in the sense that itis flattened against the missile surface. Each chamber is secured beforeinflation either to a projection on the missile, or, alternatively to arode or shaft which extends into an opening in the missile skin to someretaining device which can be released during a missile launch to allowthe rod or shaft to disengage therefrom. When such disengagement of therod or shaft connected to each buoyant member takes place, a radialmomentum is developed by the buoyant chamber when it assumes its normalshape after being compressed against the missile surface in the mannerabove set forth. This is such as to result in an ejection of the buoyantchamber radially outwardly, and, if the original compression of thebuoyant chamber Was sufficient, then the ejecting force will carry thebuoyant chamber for a considerable distance from the missile and preventany entanglement of the buoyant means with the missile fins or otherprotuberances.

One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide apparatusdesigned for use in launching a missile or other vehicle from a body ofwater.

Another object of the invention is to provide floatation apparatus whichis designed for use with a water-launched missile or rocket, and whichincludes means whereby such apparatus may be quickly released from themissile when the initial phase of the launching operation has beencompleted.

A further object of the invention is to provide plurality of inflatablebuoyant chambers intended to encircle the periphery of a water-launchedmissile and to be compressed against the missiles outer surface whilethe latter is being supported in launching position, such buoyantchambers being designed to be released from engagement with the missilewhen the latter leaves the water and to eject themselves radiallyoutwardly to a location where they are free from possible entanglementwith the missile structure, such radial ejection occuring due to therelease of the compressive force between the buoyant member and themissile surface.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of the inventionwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a missile being supported in a body ofwater by a plurality of buoyant members designed in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional view of one of the buoyant members shownin FIG. 1, such member being illustrated following inflation but withoutany compression thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, partially broken away, of the assemblyof FIG. 1 taken along the line 33;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view of a portion of FIG. 3 taken alongthe line 44;

FIG. 5 is a further view of the assembly of FIG. 1, showing the mannerin which the floatation means separates from the missile following theinitial phase of the launching operation;

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of one of the buoyant members shown inFIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in which a flexible chain or cable is utilized inplacing of a rigid retaining rod; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate examples of the manner in which theconfiguration of each buoyant member of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 may be modifiedwithout departing from the inventive concept.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a missile orrocket, generally identified by the reference numeral 10, which isdesigned to be launched from a body of water. The vehicle 10 is assumedto have a specific gravity which is greater than the water which itdisplaces. Consequently, the vehicle 10 would not normally remainupright, and would sink into the water without assuming any particularorientation, rendering an effective launching thereof diflicult orimpossible.

The disclosure of Patent No. 3,077,143 discussed above teaches theprovision of an impervious buoyant jacket to the missile above itsoriginal center of gravity, and so positioned as to locate the finalcenter of buoyancy between the final center of gravity and the nose ofthe missile, whereby the latter erects itself vertically in an upwardposition with respect to the surface of the water. In this patent, thebuoyancy means is in the form of a jacket divided into a plurality ofstrips longitudinally aligned with the missile. Associated with thesejacket strips are a number of explosive squibs, which, when energized,act to cast off the buoyant elements in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the missile.

Other expedients which have been employed in launching a vehicle of thetype in question include a number of styrofoam blocks which are strappedaround the missile or rocket just aft of the nose portion thereof. Theseblocks engage protrusions on the missile body which prevent the missilefrom sliding down through the blocks. These protrusions were slanted toform cammed surfaces which act to impart a radial motion to thestyrofoam blocks when the missile accelerated upwardly through themduring the launching. These blocks are released when the missile beginsto accelerate by means of explosive cutters on the straps by means ofwhich the blocks are secured in position. A still further developmentalong this same line retained the styrofoam blocks, but employed aplurality of springs under compression to propel or eject the blocksfrom the immediate vicinity of the missile.

In each of the methods above mentioned, the radial ejecting force bymeans of which the buoyant members were caused to leave the immediatevicinity of the missile was produced by means exterior to the buoyantmembers themselves. In other words, it was necessary to make use of someforce-generating means or mechanism carried on the missile andpreferably located between the missiles outer surface and the innersurface of the buoyant member. While operation of such an assembly wassatisfactory in practice, nevertheless the additional force-producingcomponents necessarily added both to the weight and complexity of thevehicle and increased the possibility of injury to personnel.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theforce necessary to bring about an ejection of each buoyant member 12 isincorporated into the member as an inherent characteristic thereof. Nosupplementary structure is required, thereby reducing the possibility ofa malfunction which could result from contact between the buoyantmembers and the missile fins. A preferred apparatus for carrying out thepresent concept is through the utilization of a number of detachablebuoyant chambers 12 disposed about the periphery of the vehicle 10 inthe manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Each of thesebuoyant chambers 12 is in the form of an inflatable airand water-tightbag of toroidal configuration, preferably though not necessarilydefining in cross-section a surface of revolution. The number of suchmembers utilized depends largely upon the size and weight of the missileto be launched, and such numher is chosen so that when the bags aredisposed about the periphery of the missile, as shown in FIGURE 1, eachbuoyant member may contact the surface of the member lying to eitherside thereof. The bags 12 may, for example, be made of nylon fabricimpregnated with neoprene.

Each of the buoyant members 12 of FIGURE 1 is provided with an opening14 therethrough (as shown in FIG. 2) which is of suflicient diameter toaccommodate entry of a rod 16, one end of each rod carrying thereon aradially-enlarged retaining member 18 which, as again best shown inFIGURE 2, is provided with an annular groove 20 designed to receivetherewithin an annular shoulder 22 which forms part of the inner wall ofthe bag opening 14. The retaining member 18 is intended to receivetherewithin the shoulder 22 of the buoyant member 12 not only when thelatter is inflated, as shown in FIGURE 2, but also to hold this positionprior to such time.

The remaining end of each rod 16 is provided with an annular groove 24which is intended to be engaged by the upper and lower sections of aquick-release assembly, generally identified by the reference numeral26, shown in FIG. 3 and which will be more fully described in connectionwith FIGURE 4. At the present point, however, it need only be mentionedthat each of the inwardlyextending rods 16 terminate near thelongitudinal axis 28 of missile 10 in a manner best brought out by FIG-URE 3. Each of these rods 16 is slidably carried within a tube 30 whichalso extends radially inwardly from the shell 32 of missile 10 and whichare preferably attached to the inner surface of the shell by some methodsuch as welding, the shell 32 being of course provided with openings 33through which the rods 16 extend.

In order to place the apparatus of the present invention in operatingcondition, or, in other words, to cause the same to act as a buoyantdevice for the missile 10, each of the rods 16 is secured to itsrespective buoyant member, in which secure position the annular shoulder22 is seated within the annular recess 20 of the retaining member 18.Thus the rod 16 is precluded from moving axially with respect to themember 12. With each member 12 in its deflated condition, the rods 16are inserted in their respective tubes 30 to bring each set ofoppositelydisposed rods to a position where the inner ends thereof arein proximity to one another, as best shown in FIG- URE 4. The rods 16are then maintained in this position during the initial phase of thelaunching operation by a quick-release device 26.

This device 26 comprises a two-part housing (FIG. 4) the upper portion34 of which is cup-shaped and provided with an outer tapered flange 36which extends downwardly, as shown in the drawing. The lower portion 38of the housing is similarly provided with an upwardly-extending taperedflange 40 of the same form as flange 36 and designed to engage thelatter, except that four circular openings 42 are equally spaced apartin the plane defined by the mating flanges 36 and 40 as best shown inFIGURE 3.

Each annular groove 24 of the rods 16 is intended to be received withinone of the openings 42, so that the mating portions of the flanges 36and 40 lie within each groove 24 and thus preclude any axial movement ofthe rods 16 radially 0f the missiles longitudinal axis 28 as long as therods 16 are engaged by the housing flanges 36 and 40 in the mannerillustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4.

With the assembly in the condition described above, each of the buoyantmembers 12 is inflated through a valve 43. This causes the members toassume a configuration as shown in FIGURE 1, in which a portion of thesurface of each bag is compressed against the outer skin of the missilein the manner shown by FIGURE 3. The normal configuration of the bag (asshown by FIG- URE 2) is distorted due to this compression, whichflattens a portion of the bag surface in the manner illustrated byFIGURE 3.

When it is desired to rid the missile 12 of its floatation means uponcompletion of the initial phase of the launching operation, the rods 16are each disengaged from the assembly 26 by which they were secured.This securing means comprises an explosive bolt 44 which may be of amore or less conventional design) and which is provided with a centralportion 46 of reduced diameter. This central portion 46 of the bolt 44lies intermediate the two portions 34 and 38 which make up thequickrelease housing. On each side of the central portion 46 of the bolt44 is embodied an explosive squib 48, only one of which is shown in thedrawing. These squibs 48 are intended to be energized by currentsupplied thereto over conductors 50. However, the means for soenergizing the squibs 48 forms no part of the present invention, andhence has not been illustrated in the drawing. The bolt 44 is held inposition relative to the housing sections 34 and 38 by a plurality ofnuts 52.

Following the initial phase of the launching operation, the buoyantmembers 12 are no longer needed and it is desired to rid the missile 10thereof. To accomplish this objective, a control current is transmittedover the conductors 50 to detonate the squibs 48. This explosive actionseparates the two portions of the bolt 44 in the region 46 where thediameter of the bolt is reduced. When this occurs, there is no longerany means holding together the two portions 34 and 38 of thequick-release device 26, and hence these portions also separate. Therods 16 are now free to slide within their respective tubes 30, and sucha radial outward movement thereof takes place due to the release of thecompressive force previously established between each inflated bag 12and the outer surface of the missile 10. This force is suflicient tocause an ejection, or outward displacement, of each member 12 away fromthe immediate vicinity of the missile, as clearly illustrated in FIGURE5 of the drawings. It should be recognized that the ejection of each bag12 from the missile 10 as shown in FIGURE 5 occurs solely due to theexpansion of each bag from its compressed state, and not as a result ofany exterior force being applied thereto.

FIGURE 6 shows a modification of the buoyant device of FIGURES 1, 2, 3and 5 in that each rigid rod 16 of the latter figures is replaced byflexible cable 54, which in some cases facilitates the mounting of thebags 12 around the periphery of the missile 10 prior to inflationthereof. Although not shown in the drawings, the inner end of each cable54 is provided with means for securing the cable to some form ofquick-release mechanism similar to that of FIGURES 3 and 4.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 are illustrated alternative forms for each buoyantmember 12. It is only necessary that each buoyant object empolyed inpracticing the present invention be composed of flexible airtight andwatertight material which is sufficiently strong to support the objectbeing floated and also capable of having attached thereto some means forsecuring the inflated member to the vehicle during the time thatfloatation of the latter is desired. For example, one particulararrangement which has been found to yield satisfactory results includesa spherical bag 5 /2 feet in diameter and with a central aperture 4inches in diameter. The material of which the bag is composed consistsof nylon impregnated with neoprene.

'The retaining rod utilized in connection therewith is a steel tube twoinches in diameter and with a hub composed of aluminum.

With respect to those expedients which have been previously employed toaccomplish the intended purpose, the present concept has been found topossess a number of important advantages. These include: 1) positivedispersion and disengagement of the floatation means independently ofthe initial acceleration of the missile or rocket, (2) an increasedsaftey factor with respect to spring-propelled rigid floats in the ventof a malfunction resulting in premature release, (3) the buoyant meansof the present disclosure can readily be handled because of its lightWeight and lack of bulk when deflated, (4) the ejecting force is evenlydistributed over a large area of the missile skin, (5) a floatingmissile is provided with a buffer against contact with boats, rafts,etc., and (6) the buoyant members may be deflated, attached to .a sunkenvehicle under water, and then reinflated to bring such sunken vehicle tothe surface.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. Apparatus designed for association with a missile having a noseportion and an exhaust region, said missile being launchable into theatmosphere from a body of water, said missile normally possessinginsufficient inherent buoyancy to remain upright at or near the surfaceof such body of Water in a position suitable for launching, wherein thelongitudinal axis thereof is essentially perpendicular to the watersurface, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of flexible buoyant chambers of generally sphericalconfiguration disposed to encircle said missile between its center ofgravity and the nose portion thereof;

means for securing each of said buoyant chambers to said missile so thateach such chamber contacts the missiles outer surface and is forcefullycompressed thereagainst;

and means for releasing each of said buoyant chambers from said missileso that they are no longer secured thereto;

whereupon the compression of each of said chambers is terminated, andthe force developed as a result of such termination acts against theouter surface of the missile to propel each of the buoyant chambers in aradial direction with respect to the missiles longitudinal axis, sothat, following such ejection, the said buoyant chambers are beyond theregion within which subsequent engagement with the missile is likely tooccur.

2. The combination of claim'l, in which each of the said buoyantchambers is in the form of an airand watertight bag which is inflatedsubsequent to its engagement with said missile, such inflation acting todevelop a compression between each said bag and the outer surface ofsaid missile;

each of said airand water-tight bags being secured to said missile by anelongated retaining member one end of which is attached to said bag andthe other end of which releasably engages said missile.

3. The combination of claim 2, in which said retaining member is in theform of a solid rod.

4. The combination of claim 2, in which said retaining member is in theform of a flexible cable.

5. The combination of claim 2, in which each of said buoyant chambers isessentially toroidal in shape, with the said retaining member beingattached to the toroid within the reentrant portion thereof.

6. Floatation apparatus for a missile intended to be launched into theair from a body of Water, said apparatus being designed to maintain themissile in an upright position wherein it is suitably oriented forlaunching, said floatation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of inflatable chambers disposed around the periphery of themissile in the region of its nose end;

means for releasably securing each of said chambers in a common regionon said missile;

whereupon inflation of each of said chambers subsequent to theirattachment to said missile will act to compress each of said chambersagainst the outer surface of the missile and result in a distortion ofthe normal inflated configuration of each chamber;

and means for simultaneously releasing said securing means for each ofsaid chambers, thereby permitting each of said chambers to assume itsnormally inflated configuration; I

the assumpition of such normal inflated configuration by each of saidchambers producing a propulsive force for such chamber against the outersurface of the missile, said force being in such a direction as to causedispersion of the buoyant chambers away from the immediate vicinity ofthe missile.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which each of the buoyant chambers,when inflated, defines a surface of revolution.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,076,982 2/1963Rossi et al. 9-8 3,077,143 2/1963 Draim et a1 89-1.7 3,090,976 5/1963Liu 9-8 3,093,033 6/1963 Draim et al 891.7 3,122,057 2/1964 Kubit 891.73,137,203 6/1964 Brown 891.7

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, SAMUEL FEINBERG,

Examiners.

1. APPARATUS DESIGNED FOR ASSOCIATION WITH A MISSILE HAVING A NOSEPORTION AND AN EXHAUST REGION, SAID MISSILE BEING LAUNCHABLE INTO THEATMOSPHERE FROM A BODY OF WATER, SAID MISSILE NORMALLY POSSESSINGINSUFFICIENT INHERENT BUOYANCY TO REMAIN UPRIGHT AT OR NEAR THE SURFACEOF SUCH BODY OF WATER IN A POSITION SUITABLE FOR LAUNCHING, WHEREIN THELONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF IS ESSENTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE WATERSURFACE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE BUOYANTCHAMBERS OF GENERALLY SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION DISPOSED TO ENCIRCLE SAIDMISSILE BETWEEN ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AND THE NOSE PORTION THEREOF;MEANS FOR SECURING EACH OF SAID BUOYANT CHAMBERS TO SAID MISSILE SO THATEACH SUCH CHAMBER CONTACTS THE MISSILE''S OUTER SURFACE AND ISFORCEFULLY COMPRESSED THEREAGAINST; AND MEANS FOR RELEASING EACH OF SAIDBUOYANT CHAMBERS FROM SAID MISSILE SO THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER SECUREDTHERETO; WHEREUPON THE COMPRESSION OF EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS ISTERMINATED, AND THE FORCE DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF SUCH TERMINATION ACTSAGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE MISSILE TO PROPEL EACH OF THE BUOYANTCHAMBERS IN A RADIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE MISSILE''SLONGITUDINAL AXIS, SO THAT, FOLLOWING SUCH EJECTION, THE SAID BUOYANTCHAMBERS ARE BEYOND THE REGION WITHIN WHICH SUBSEQUENT ENGAGEMENT WITHTHE MISSILE IS LIKELY TO OCCUR.